Hello friends, and
welcome to "Books of the Book."
00:00:22.55\00:00:25.22
Is there a secret to holiness?
00:00:25.25\00:00:26.89
Well, in today's
program we're gonna to find
00:00:26.92\00:00:28.96
the answer to that question.
00:00:28.99\00:00:30.39
And with me is Dr. Tom Shepherd.
00:00:30.43\00:00:32.46
He is a professor
at Andrews University,
00:00:32.49\00:00:34.93
a New Testament
Interpretation, is that right?
00:00:34.96\00:00:36.67
Correct. Welcome back. Okay.
00:00:36.70\00:00:39.07
I've been learning more
about you, Dr. Shepherd.
00:00:39.10\00:00:42.20
And I found out that
you not only speak English,
00:00:42.24\00:00:45.51
but you speak
Spanish and Portuguese,
00:00:45.54\00:00:47.78
that makes you
trilingual. Trilingual, yeah.
00:00:47.81\00:00:49.91
When we were
missionaries in Brazil,
00:00:49.94\00:00:53.15
it was a necessity
to learn Portuguese,
00:00:53.18\00:00:55.22
I had to teach in Portuguese.
00:00:55.25\00:00:57.09
And the first
semester for my students
00:00:57.12\00:01:00.32
and I was quite a challenge.
00:01:00.36\00:01:02.86
We were there for
two and a half years
00:01:02.89\00:01:04.26
and then when we
returned to the United States,
00:01:04.29\00:01:07.76
I- during the first year
back I took a class in Spanish.
00:01:07.76\00:01:14.37
So that I could learn
the- the two languages were
00:01:14.40\00:01:17.81
actually the same language
up until about 1100 A.D.
00:01:17.84\00:01:20.78
and then they separated.
00:01:20.81\00:01:23.45
And so there's lots of shared
words between the two languages,
00:01:23.48\00:01:26.68
so- That's right.
00:01:26.72\00:01:28.08
It's not too late,
you learn the vowels
00:01:28.12\00:01:29.48
and you can make the changes.
00:01:29.52\00:01:30.89
That's right, and do you
still use those languages?
00:01:30.92\00:01:33.22
Yeah. There's a
number of Brazilian students
00:01:33.25\00:01:36.59
at the seminary so I speak
Portuguese regularly with them.
00:01:36.62\00:01:40.40
I preached for
them a while back.
00:01:40.43\00:01:43.13
Espaņol is "un poco menos"
00:01:43.16\00:01:46.84
opportunity for me but
yeah, you know, there are-I mean
00:01:46.87\00:01:49.04
there are Spanish
speaking students.
00:01:49.07\00:01:51.27
I just feel like
I'm kind of wading
00:01:51.31\00:01:52.84
through molasses when
I try to speak Spanish.
00:01:52.87\00:01:55.54
I have to go kind of slowly.
00:01:55.58\00:01:57.38
And it gets mixed up with
Portuguese so then its Portuņol.
00:01:57.41\00:02:01.15
And your Spanish is not so bad
00:02:01.18\00:02:02.55
I had a conversation
with you, earlier this week.
00:02:02.58\00:02:04.39
Gracias buser. Igualmente.
00:02:04.42\00:02:07.72
So we're studying
today the secret to holiness.
00:02:07.76\00:02:12.33
Where do we pick up here?
00:02:12.36\00:02:14.00
We're studying in
the book of 1 Peter,
00:02:14.00\00:02:16.03
Chapter 1 and we are
starting in verse 13.
00:02:16.06\00:02:19.53
Our passage goes from
1 Peter 1:13 through 21,
00:02:19.57\00:02:24.34
but what we are
going to read is just the-
00:02:24.37\00:02:27.28
like the first four
verses 1 Peter 1:13 through 16,
00:02:27.31\00:02:32.11
we'll get started there.
00:02:32.15\00:02:34.12
Why don't you read that for us?
00:02:34.15\00:02:35.52
"Therefore gird up
the loins of your mind,
00:02:35.55\00:02:37.72
be sober, and rest your
hope fully upon the grace
00:02:37.75\00:02:40.99
that is to be brought to you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ;
00:02:41.02\00:02:45.86
as obedient children,
not conforming yourselves
00:02:45.89\00:02:48.90
to the former lusts,
as in your ignorance;
00:02:48.93\00:02:51.63
but as He who
called you is holy,
00:02:51.67\00:02:53.80
you also be holy
in all your conduct,
00:02:53.84\00:02:56.91
because it is written,
"Be holy, for I am holy."
00:02:56.94\00:03:00.68
All right. Well,
there's plenty enough for us
00:03:00.71\00:03:02.18
to wrap our minds
around in this passage.
00:03:02.21\00:03:05.31
And we start with first-verse 13
00:03:05.35\00:03:08.35
with this very interesting
metaphor where it says,
00:03:08.38\00:03:12.15
"Gird up the
loins of your mind."
00:03:12.19\00:03:14.62
Now that's kind of
literal translation
00:03:14.66\00:03:17.13
of what it says in Greek.
00:03:17.16\00:03:18.49
We don't often use
that even in English today.
00:03:18.53\00:03:19.89
No, we don't, we
don't, and that's because,
00:03:19.93\00:03:22.13
you know, it's not
our culture anymore.
00:03:22.16\00:03:25.50
This goes back to the culture,
00:03:25.53\00:03:27.00
it's still the
culture of the Middle East,
00:03:27.04\00:03:29.37
in very hot and dry environments
00:03:29.40\00:03:32.27
what people wear
is flowing robes,
00:03:32.31\00:03:35.21
white flowing robes
because they circulate the air
00:03:35.24\00:03:39.75
and keep you cooler,
and they actually wear
00:03:39.78\00:03:42.15
a turban on their head.
00:03:42.18\00:03:43.55
You think, wow,
that's such a hot place
00:03:43.59\00:03:45.32
why wear a turban
because it protects your head
00:03:45.35\00:03:48.19
and when you sweat
actually I think the sweat gets
00:03:48.22\00:03:51.66
into the band and then it
evaporates and cools your head.
00:03:51.69\00:03:55.40
So yeah, I mean,
they're smart people,
00:03:55.43\00:03:57.40
you know, what they do.
00:03:57.43\00:03:58.80
But the problem
with flowing robes is
00:03:58.83\00:04:01.30
it's very difficult
to run in a flowing robe.
00:04:01.34\00:04:05.17
And so what they used
to do, they'd have a belt
00:04:05.21\00:04:07.58
around their waist and they
would take the flowing robe,
00:04:07.61\00:04:10.51
they would pull it up and
they tuck it into their belt.
00:04:10.55\00:04:14.05
So then their
legs would be exposed
00:04:14.08\00:04:16.02
and free open and then
it would be easy to run.
00:04:16.05\00:04:19.32
So you're getting
ready for quick action,
00:04:19.35\00:04:22.59
when you gird up,
you take up the cloth-
00:04:22.62\00:04:26.63
the flowing robe, gird
up and put it in the loins.
00:04:26.66\00:04:30.73
So you put it into that
belt that's around your waist.
00:04:30.77\00:04:34.14
So whenever they
say, gird up loins,
00:04:34.17\00:04:37.27
they are talking about
getting ready for action.
00:04:37.31\00:04:41.41
So the English Standard
version, instead of giving
00:04:41.44\00:04:45.38
Peter's metaphor takes
and interprets the metaphor.
00:04:45.41\00:04:52.09
You see, so that you
don't have the metaphor anymore
00:04:52.12\00:04:54.46
because a lot of
people they read that-
00:04:54.49\00:04:57.49
like you said, we
don't use those term.
00:04:57.53\00:04:59.16
So this says, "Therefore,
00:04:59.19\00:05:01.23
preparing your
minds for action."
00:05:01.26\00:05:04.53
Okay. All right.
00:05:04.57\00:05:05.93
But that makes more
sense than gird up the loins-
00:05:05.97\00:05:08.04
Yeah. To me.
00:05:08.07\00:05:09.44
Well, it's always kind of the
question in Bible translation
00:05:09.47\00:05:12.11
as to whether you
should maintain the metaphors,
00:05:12.14\00:05:16.24
do a literal
translation of how it's stated,
00:05:16.28\00:05:18.95
or should you put
it across in a language
00:05:18.98\00:05:21.45
that it is more suited
or fitted to the culture
00:05:21.48\00:05:24.79
that you're trying
to express this to.
00:05:24.82\00:05:28.52
There are pluses and
minuses to both actually.
00:05:28.56\00:05:31.73
You're moving away from
the language of Scripture,
00:05:31.76\00:05:33.66
when you modify and
you're interpreting it more,
00:05:33.70\00:05:37.43
but you're making
it more understandable.
00:05:37.47\00:05:38.83
So for somebody who
is brand new believer,
00:05:38.87\00:05:41.27
somebody who's never
read the Bible before,
00:05:41.30\00:05:43.51
I would give them one
that read like this, you know,
00:05:43.54\00:05:45.54
that did have it kind
of interpretive for them.
00:05:45.57\00:05:48.24
But for somebody who is already
made a commitment to Christ,
00:05:48.28\00:05:50.78
somebody who wantsto
study hard, they want to see
00:05:50.81\00:05:53.18
the words more close
to the original as it was.
00:05:53.21\00:05:56.32
We'd have them read
one maybe more like that.
00:05:56.35\00:05:58.92
So both are- both
are valuable and good.
00:05:58.95\00:06:01.26
All right. So you're girding
up the loins of your mind.
00:06:01.29\00:06:04.89
So this is getting your
mind prepared for action.
00:06:04.93\00:06:09.03
And then he says,
"Be sober minded."
00:06:09.06\00:06:13.34
Now, the term here,
00:06:13.37\00:06:15.94
the underlined verb
means to not drink alcohol.
00:06:15.97\00:06:21.41
To be sober, sober minded,
00:06:21.44\00:06:23.38
to be sober to-see alcohol
is actually an anesthetic,
00:06:23.41\00:06:28.98
most people don't
think of it that way,
00:06:29.02\00:06:31.25
but it puts the brain to sleep
starting with the frontal lobes
00:06:31.29\00:06:36.22
and then working
its way backwards
00:06:36.26\00:06:37.73
and down into the
cerebellum and so forth.
00:06:37.76\00:06:40.93
So when you drink
alcohol, you're not as alert to,
00:06:40.96\00:06:45.90
you know, what's
going around you.
00:06:45.93\00:06:47.30
So not thinking
clearly. Not thinking clearly.
00:06:47.34\00:06:49.34
That's right, he said.
00:06:49.37\00:06:50.74
So he wants you to
be thinking clearly,
00:06:50.77\00:06:52.14
this is typical
of eschatological
00:06:52.17\00:06:54.88
type of language
where, you're gonna be awake,
00:06:54.91\00:06:58.48
you can be ready,
you're gonna be prepared to go.
00:06:58.51\00:07:01.02
You know, you're gonna have
00:07:01.05\00:07:02.55
everything just
prepared and ready.
00:07:02.58\00:07:04.99
It's like when the Israelites
were prepared to leave
00:07:05.02\00:07:10.16
the land of Egypt,
they had their staffs
00:07:10.19\00:07:13.13
in their hands there,
their loins were gird up,
00:07:13.16\00:07:15.86
so they could move quickly.
00:07:15.90\00:07:17.27
They were ready to
go because God was going
00:07:17.30\00:07:19.03
to bring them deliverance.
00:07:19.07\00:07:20.44
Now, it's interesting
that in my translation it says,
00:07:20.47\00:07:23.20
"Set your hope
fully on the grace."
00:07:23.24\00:07:25.81
I think yours say
something like that as well.
00:07:25.84\00:07:27.64
"Rest your hope
fully on the grace, rest."
00:07:27.68\00:07:30.88
The word I'm interested in
right now is the word "fully."
00:07:30.91\00:07:34.22
Okay. This word ''fully"
00:07:34.25\00:07:37.22
in the Greek text stands
right between the word sober,
00:07:37.25\00:07:41.36
"be sober" and the word "hope."
00:07:41.39\00:07:45.23
Okay. And the question is,
00:07:45.26\00:07:47.40
which word does it
modify it's an adverb here?
00:07:47.40\00:07:50.57
And which word does it
modify, does it modify sober,
00:07:50.60\00:07:55.10
be completely
sober or does it modify
00:07:55.14\00:07:58.14
the word hope, set
your hope completely?
00:07:58.17\00:08:00.81
Actually, I think it
probably modifies sober
00:08:00.84\00:08:05.21
because if you
say set your hope,
00:08:05.25\00:08:08.28
see, set your hope on the grace
00:08:08.32\00:08:10.35
that will be brought to you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:08:10.39\00:08:14.26
If I say to you, set
your hope fully on the grace
00:08:14.29\00:08:18.16
that is going to be revealed
at the coming of Christ.
00:08:18.19\00:08:21.56
What does that
suggest about the word hope?
00:08:21.60\00:08:23.63
If I said-if I said
set you full hope fully.
00:08:23.67\00:08:27.80
Well, that might
suggest that hope isn't quite
00:08:27.84\00:08:31.87
such a quit big word
as you thought it was.
00:08:31.91\00:08:34.21
That you had to add a
word to it fully, you know,
00:08:34.24\00:08:37.78
because these
people maybe weren't going
00:08:37.81\00:08:39.21
to do it and so
you pressed it, so.
00:08:39.25\00:08:41.82
I think that diminishes the
word hope a bit that Peter has.
00:08:41.85\00:08:44.89
He has more of
a concept of hope,
00:08:44.92\00:08:46.49
that's a big term,
that's a big cosmic term
00:08:46.52\00:08:48.92
Jesus is coming
again kind of an idea.
00:08:48.96\00:08:51.53
So I think that
this term "fully"
00:08:51.56\00:08:53.83
really goes better
with "sober minded".
00:08:53.86\00:08:56.00
Now let me read it
again, in that way,
00:08:56.03\00:08:59.07
"Therefore, prepare
your minds for action,
00:08:59.10\00:09:02.44
and be completely sober,
set your hope on the grace
00:09:02.47\00:09:08.11
that will be brought to you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ."
00:09:08.14\00:09:11.81
Okay. Now if we-
00:09:11.85\00:09:13.58
if we think of it that
way, if this is a about now,
00:09:13.62\00:09:15.78
a lot of people want to
say, this is just metaphoric.
00:09:15.82\00:09:19.22
You know, metaphoric soberness,
this is not literal soberness.
00:09:19.25\00:09:24.56
I teach people something that
00:09:24.59\00:09:25.96
I call
eschatological temperance.
00:09:25.99\00:09:28.86
Okay. Eschatological has to do
00:09:28.90\00:09:30.57
with the last days, all right.
00:09:30.60\00:09:32.77
Jesus is coming again.
00:09:32.80\00:09:34.67
Temperance has to
do with being sober,
00:09:34.70\00:09:37.91
with being in self-controlled
in this kind of way.
00:09:37.94\00:09:41.91
I believe in
eschatological temperance,
00:09:41.94\00:09:43.95
in other words I
don't use alcohol.
00:09:43.98\00:09:46.72
Why not? Because
Jesus is coming again,
00:09:46.75\00:09:50.19
I want to be completely awake,
I don't want to have anything,
00:09:50.22\00:09:53.69
you know, kind of slipping by me
00:09:53.72\00:09:55.62
because I was using
something like that.
00:09:55.66\00:09:58.23
All right. Well, just a
little bit of Adventist-
00:09:58.26\00:10:01.96
look at the eschaton and
what's coming, all right.
00:10:02.00\00:10:04.73
So you set your
hope fully on the grace
00:10:04.77\00:10:08.17
that's going to be revealed at
the revelation of Jesus Christ
00:10:08.20\00:10:11.24
and then read
verse 14 for us again.
00:10:11.27\00:10:13.74
"As obedient children,
not conforming yourselves
00:10:13.78\00:10:16.41
to the former lusts,
as in your ignorance;"
00:10:16.44\00:10:20.02
Right. All right.
00:10:20.05\00:10:21.88
So "As obedient
children, do not be conformed
00:10:21.92\00:10:25.85
to the passions of
your former ignorance."
00:10:25.89\00:10:27.56
Does that remind you
of any text of Scripture?
00:10:27.59\00:10:30.06
I think, we were reading
something about that in 1 Peter.
00:10:30.09\00:10:33.96
1 Peter-I was thinking of
something perhaps in Paul.
00:10:34.00\00:10:38.17
"Don't be conformed."
Does that remind you of a text?
00:10:38.20\00:10:41.37
Okay. "Do not be
conformed of this world."
00:10:41.40\00:10:44.31
Of this world,
Romans 12. Romans 12.
00:10:44.34\00:10:46.88
Romans 12:1 and 2,
just turn over there.
00:10:46.91\00:10:49.28
Now, let me just
talk a little bit
00:10:49.31\00:10:51.78
while you look that up
and then we'll say it again,
00:10:51.81\00:10:54.42
so our listeners can also
look it up, Romans 12:1 and 2.
00:10:54.45\00:10:59.02
Sometimes, Peter has been
thought of as a Paul light.
00:10:59.05\00:11:05.83
He's kind of Paul put simply
and really not as good as Paul.
00:11:05.86\00:11:10.93
Actually, that view scholars
00:11:10.97\00:11:12.57
have set that kind
of perspective aside.
00:11:12.60\00:11:15.14
The books of Peter and
the theology particularly,
00:11:15.17\00:11:19.17
of 1 Peter is
every bit is profound is
00:11:19.21\00:11:21.71
that of the Apostle Paul and he
says something to Paul, doesn't.
00:11:21.74\00:11:23.95
We'll be noting those
as we go through the book.
00:11:23.98\00:11:25.81
Okay, read for us
Romans 12:1 and 2.
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.75
"I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God,
00:11:27.78\00:11:30.99
that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice,
00:11:31.02\00:11:33.69
holy, acceptable to God,
00:11:33.72\00:11:35.99
which is your
reasonable service.
00:11:36.02\00:11:38.63
And do not be
conformed to this world,
00:11:38.66\00:11:41.06
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind,
00:11:41.10\00:11:44.47
that you may
prove what is that good
00:11:44.50\00:11:47.10
and acceptable and
perfect will of God."
00:11:47.14\00:11:50.54
It's a similar, very
similar kind of an idea.
00:11:50.57\00:11:54.28
One of the
translations puts it this way,
00:11:54.31\00:11:56.38
"Don't let the world
squeeze you into its mould."
00:11:56.41\00:11:59.85
"Don't let the world
squeeze you into its mold."
00:11:59.88\00:12:03.35
He talks about
not being conformed
00:12:03.39\00:12:05.75
but being transformed
by the renewal of our mind.
00:12:05.79\00:12:09.29
Well, this is
the very kind of idea
00:12:09.32\00:12:11.86
that Peter has been
talking about, isn't it?
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.40
He talks about that holy life.
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.80
He talks about that
new relationship with God.
00:12:16.83\00:12:20.07
And Paul says, there that we are
00:12:20.10\00:12:22.17
to present our bodies
as a living sacrifice.
00:12:22.20\00:12:24.97
See, how that fits
in with Peter saying,
00:12:25.01\00:12:27.08
gird up the loins of your mind.
00:12:27.11\00:12:28.91
He says, and be completely sober
00:12:28.94\00:12:30.85
in a way that you look at life.
00:12:30.88\00:12:33.52
You're not
supposed to be conformed
00:12:33.55\00:12:34.92
to the passions of
your former ignorance.
00:12:34.95\00:12:37.99
This is just the old way
of life that they had been
00:12:38.02\00:12:42.62
following in the
past that that way of-
00:12:42.66\00:12:45.89
he calls it
ignorance and of course,
00:12:45.93\00:12:49.70
which is a very negative term
00:12:49.73\00:12:51.77
that he is
disvaluing the old way of life.
00:12:51.80\00:12:54.34
Remember, Peter is fortifying
the minds of these people
00:12:54.37\00:12:59.31
to live as
Christians in the society
00:12:59.34\00:13:01.98
that is opposed
to them and is trying
00:13:02.01\00:13:04.28
to attract them
back to paganism.
00:13:04.31\00:13:06.72
So, how does he do that?
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.12
He's forming in
their minds a new concept
00:13:08.15\00:13:11.15
of what it means
to be a Christian.
00:13:11.19\00:13:13.79
Keeping their
eyes fixed on the hope
00:13:13.82\00:13:15.52
that's in the future,
having their past settled,
00:13:15.56\00:13:19.06
and understanding
that they are to be totally
00:13:19.09\00:13:21.40
awake in the present
time that such a serious
00:13:21.43\00:13:24.53
difficult time to live through.
00:13:24.57\00:13:26.80
So Peter's really telling them,
do not go back to the lifestyle
00:13:26.84\00:13:30.71
you used to before
you were Christian,
00:13:30.74\00:13:32.47
before you accepted
Christ, do not be conformed
00:13:32.51\00:13:34.94
to that
lifestyle you used to have.
00:13:34.98\00:13:36.71
Don't go back to it.
00:13:36.75\00:13:38.11
It's that way, is the way-
that was the way of ignorance.
00:13:38.15\00:13:42.48
And we certainly don't
want to remain in ignorance.
00:13:42.52\00:13:44.45
No, that's right. Okay.
00:13:44.49\00:13:45.85
We're going to take a
brief break, Dr. Shepherd,
00:13:45.89\00:13:47.92
and after this we will continue
with "Books of the Book."
00:13:47.96\00:13:50.83